The newly elected President of Benin, Romuald Wadagni, made a brief but significant visit to Niger on Tuesday, June 2, marking his first diplomatic engagement with Niamey since the military takeover in July 2023. The trip signals a potential thaw in the tense relations between the two neighboring countries, as Niger’s military regime has kept its borders closed with Benin, accusing it of excessive alignment with Paris and attempts to destabilize Niamey.
Upon landing, President Wadagni was greeted by his counterpart, General Abdourahamane Tiani, the leader of Niger’s junta. Following a prior stop in Nigeria, Wadagni’s second destination was Niger, where discussions with General Tiani focused on reviving bilateral security cooperation—an urgent priority for both nations amid escalating jihadist violence along their shared borders.
Wadagni departed Niamey in the early afternoon, with his next destination being Burkina Faso.
Rebuilding ties through regional diplomacy
This visit underscores President Wadagni’s commitment to an active neighborhood diplomacy, aiming to strengthen relations with all countries bordering Benin. The thaw in relations was first hinted at during Wadagni’s inauguration in Cotonou, where Niger’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, was notably present.
The diplomatic overture comes after months of strained exchanges. Earlier this year, General Tiani had publicly accused Benin’s former president and mentor to Wadagni, Patrice Talon, of being a sponsor of jihadist attacks on Niamey’s airport—a claim vehemently denied by Cotonou. Meanwhile, Benin has faced its own surge in deadly jihadist violence in the northern regions bordering Niger. Conversely, Niger has been suspected of involvement in a failed coup attempt in Benin in December 2025, though Cotonou has never explicitly implicated Niamey.